CPAP Masks and Headgear

The best way to treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea is with a CPAP Machine. Even though surgery is available in some cases, the recovery after surgery is long, painful and does not have a 100% success rate. The surgery may only be partially successful and you will still have to use a sleep apnea machine check this for more here best cpap machine

Factors Determing if a CPAP machine will be successful.

Several factors determine if CPAP Machine therapy will be successful. One of the most important is a comfortable and proper fitting mask. Which includes the headgear to hold the cpap mask in place. If the mask and headgear aren’t comfortable, the best sleep apnea machine in the world is not going to work. There are a myriad of different sleep apnea masks and headgear made in different configurations, sizes and materials to fit almost any face available.

The first time the sleep technician fits your mask – PAY ATTENTION! So you don’t have to keep going back and getting it adjusted. Every headgear stretches over time and has to be readjusted every so often to keep a good fit.

What about beards and mustaches?

You want a good seal between the mask and your skin. If you have a mustache, you may have to trim it down so it doesn’t interfere with the seal. Same goes if you have a beard and are using a cpap mask that covers both your nose and mouth. You shouldn’t have to cut them off completely, but keep them trimmed short and you should be okay.

If you wake up with a headache or red marks on your face, your mask is too tight. If your sleep partner says your snoring, it’s too loose. You should NOT be able to feel air escaping from the mask. Depending on your mask you should still be able to sleep on your side with no problem.

If one mask doesn’t fit or moves around too much not matter how you adjust it, try another. They’re not cheap, but you need to get one that fits right. Try one that’s trimmed with a different kind of material or a different size. Most have a gel type substance that gives a good seal without having to be real tight.

Online Shopping for CPAP Accessories

There are dozens of stores online, finding one with a lot of user reviews might help in choosing your mask. Somewhere like Amazon.com has machines (with a prescription) and plenty of accessories. You only need a prescription for the actual machine. You do not need a prescription for parts or accessories like masks, tubing, water containers (for humidifier models), filters, etc…